Interlude I

~

“THE SHIP WASN’T BUILT FOR THIS!”

The captain was forced to shout over the crashing of thunder and the streaks of lightning that lit the sky. He was struggling at the helm, braced against the wheel and lashed tight to the deck.

Further along, Ben was similarly braced, watching the sky all around them.

“Will she last the storm Captain?”

“She’ll last. But we’ll be in mighty poor shape to make the rest of the journey!” The man looked haggard, having been stuck to the helm for several days now.

Energy split the sky around them, stirring up the raw essence into surges of power. The slashing wind and freezing rain whipped his hair around his face, causing Ben to circulate his thanam to stay warm.

He continued to watch the sky, eventually turning his gaze upon his brother standing tall on the aft deck. Daniel watched the world behind them, worry evident on his face. It had been his idea to take an airship across the continent. Using a reality’s natural means of transportation was just one of many ways to lose their pursers. And every second they gained could be another Traveler saved.

Unfortunately, too many Stringhoppers had already been located by the NCF squads. If they weren’t careful enough in hiding their tracks, their pursuers would trace them back to whomever the brothers located. Getting people targeted after trying to save them was pointless. So, the longer route became a more suitable choice.

There was a sudden commotion from some of the crew as they struggled with the formations embedded in the sails. The lookout was shouting down, enhancing his voice with a technique.

“Benjamin! To the west!” Daniel stretched his arm pointing into the sky. A second airship flew through the clouds, clearly heading on an intercept course.

Ben cursed under his breath. Had they been located so soon? “Is it one of ours?”

“I don’t think so. It looks native. I’m getting some powerful thanam signatures on board though!”

Turning back to the captain, Ben watched as the man began ordering the crew to unlimber the essence cannons. He strode up to the drenched figure, arm hooked in front of his face to relieve the pressure of the rain. “Captain Majou. I need your honest opinion. If we engage in a running battle with these pirates, will we be able to make it to the Verle Isles?”

Straining against the wheel, the captain shook his head. “Sorry to say it, but we’re already running on fumes.” He glanced at the two crystal housings beside the helm, now cracked and linking essence. “I’m already planning a controlled descent with the little power we do have. We use any more…” He stopped speaking, focused entirely on riding a wave of lightning that flowed beneath the ship, lifting it even higher before dropping out with a crash of thunder.

“Very well.” Ben shook his head, already hating the choice he was being forced to make.

“Daniel! Can you stop them at this range?”

Daniel glanced at him. “I can. But are you sure we want too?”

Nodding, Ben thought quickly. They had traveled for over twelve days since their entry point into this string of reality. They had crossed one giant ocean, four smaller seas, seven different continents, and hundreds of kingdoms. The size of this world was massive but no worse than planets back home. Their pursuers had spent time trying to catch a rather slippery Stringhopper the brothers had helped five days back. His superhuman abilities had carried over from his native string and allowed him quick progression in a reality like this one. They were fairly confident in his escape.

Still, a setback now could be disastrous for any other Travelers stuck on this planet. No memories and few resources could kill, and often did. They needed this extra time, and a fight right now was too much an obstacle to ignore.

He turned back to the Captain. “Who’s your highest ranked cultivator?”

The grizzled man motioned to the lower deck, where a woman in a high collared rain cloak stood shouting orders at the crew. “My second. She’s Ruler rank, 1st stage.”

“Daniel! Highest cultivator rank on the pursuing ship?” Daniel grasped the ship’s railing, one hand pulsating with a thanam technique. He called through gritted teeth over his shoulder, “Lowest is Power rank, 2nd stage. Highest is Ruler rank, 3rd stage.”

The captain spouted a string of curses, most lost to the wind. “Boys, we can’t fight a 3rd stage! We’ll die if we try. Best choices are either surrender now or drop below the clouds. And I hate both of em!”

The brothers' eyes met across the deck, and a decision was reached. Ben faced the captain once again. “Sir! Do we have your permission to act on behalf of the danger facing the ship and crew in your charge?”

Captain Majou stared at him in confusion. “What?”

“Incoming!” The shout from the lookout was barely heard before the ship rolled with a massive impact against its bulwark, tilting precariously to one side. The screams of falling sailors were washed away with the rain, the storm not abating in the slightest as the ship slowly righted itself.

“Captain! People off the bow!”

In the distance ahead, lit only by the passing lightning, three figures hung suspended in midair. Each was wrapped in a distinctive reddish hue, and all were surrounded by whirlpools of essence streaming into their cores. “They’re all 3rd stage rulers Ben!” Daniel had remained in position at the aft of the ship, one hand still fiercely clutching the railing.

“I need your answer now Captain! Do we have permission to engage?” Even before receiving an answer, Ben began circulating the essence around him, drawing it into his core and refining it into more thanam. The storm provided him with raw energy in spades, the power fluctuating dangerously.

“Yes! If you can do something, do it NOW!” Screaming hoarsely, the captain looked terrified at the view in front of his vessel.

“Dan, handle the pursuing ship! I’ve got the others!” Ben was already in movement, flipping over the nearest railing to the deck below. Behind him, he could feel the draw of essence, the buildup of something powerful. He didn’t look back. He was confident in Daniel’s abilities. The individuals in front were already reacting, each preparing a separate attack.

Better to protect first, then retaliate. Ben poured all his thanam into a shield technique, upgrading the most simplistic of formations till it bulged with potential. Then, as multiple streams of energy came crashing towards the ship, he released it into a cone of power surrounding the front of the vessel. The firewall smashed into the breaker, diffracting and dissipating to either side of the ship until running out of strength.

Then, instead of dropping the shield, he thinned it to a razor's edge, stretching its limits paper-thin. Almost two dimensional at this point and virtually impossible to see, he split it three ways. Here his second-mind helped carry the load, continuing to funnel thanam into the shield formation as he concentrated on splitting the beams. The three powerful cultivators ahead were uniting their techniques, preparing to overwhelm his shield with brute force. They never got the chance.

Three slices in the air, three horizontal lines flying faster than the eye could track. Three headless bodies falling, as their technique bottled and backfired, tearing their remains apart in fire and waves of destruction.

Turning around, Ben managed to catch the sight of another beam incoming from the pursuing ship. It was doomed to miss, for a sudden emptiness enveloped both ships and the storm between. A breath of silence fell, the moment stretching as all those near heard nothing, yet saw space twist, then tear.

Stars and galaxies shown clear and crystal in a void of light, a line stretching from the incoming ship to the open palm of Daniel’s right hand. The moment passed. Time returned with a lurch, everyone stumbling at the sudden acceleration. The pursuing ship hesitated, its sides trembling… before splitting into a million separate pieces. They floated, gradually mixing with the falling rain on its journey to the world below.

Ben returned to Captain Majou’s side, not caring as the rain continued to pelt his skin.

“I’m sorry Captain, but it’s imperative we reach the Isles before landing. My brother and I will help power the ship, but it’s up to you to get us there. Please.”

For a long moment, nothing was said. Finally, Majou nodded. “As you command, your worship.”

Ben frowned but said nothing more, instead walking up to join Daniel at the railing. “Bit of an overkill, don’t you think?” he murmured.

Daniel nodded. “Sorry. Still, it needed to be done in one shot. At least now we might make it in time to help another traveler.”

Ben nodded. “I narrowed it down to four possible locations. Each causality rift was large enough to draw in a single large individual or two smaller ones. Finding them will be more difficult after this much time.”

Shrugging, Daniel continued to watch the streaks of lightning flash around them. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” he whispered.

His older brother looked at him with knowing eyes, before grasping his shoulder tightly.

“It is. It truly is.”